


Please, Don't Turn Back

by hmweasley



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Malec Discord Mini Bang 2020, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25835212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hmweasley/pseuds/hmweasley
Summary: Once they're 18, both demons and angels must visit Earth with their own personal missions before they come of age. For angels, this means saving souls. For demons, it usually means little more than corrupting a human or two, but Magnus isn't a run-of-the-mill demon. He's the son of a Prince of Hell, and his mission must reflect that. What Asmodeus gives him is a mission that's rather straightforward on paper: kill Alexander Lightwood, the son of high-ranking angels.There's just one thing the plan doesn't account for: how Alexander makes Magnus feel.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 22
Kudos: 99
Collections: Malec Discord Mini Bang 2020





	Please, Don't Turn Back

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was created for the Malec Discord Mini Bang 2020 hosted by the [Malec Discord Server](https://discord.gg/5nBgEp8).
> 
> A huge, massive thank you to [DarayFlair](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarayFlair/pseuds/DarayFlair) for beta reading this and making certain parts far less confusing!

Earth was…Earth.

Magnus had spent most of his existence thinking about the day he would step foot on the planet that people—or mundanes, as demons preferred to refer to them—called home. He’d watched from the lowest depths of Hell as people had gone about their days mostly oblivious to the demons and angels amongst them. 

Some believed in Magnus’ kind of course, but even those who did rarely gave them a passing thought in their day-to-day lives. When they did bother to think of them, it was to pray to the angels above, not the demons below. The select few who tried to contact Magnus’ father, Asmodeus, had never been interesting to Magnus. He much preferred those he watched through the portals, the ones uninterested in conversing with demons.

There was only one purpose in letting Magnus observe mundanes: preparing him for his initiation.

At eighteen, his time had come to prove himself as a demon by luring as many people to Hell as possible, and he was expected to put his extensive knowledge to good use. 

The hunt was supposed to invigorate Magnus, but it didn’t. He was far more interested in the bright lights and sounds of New York City as he hurried through the streets. There was something about the atmosphere that spoke to him like Hell never had. 

Unlike the countless children of demons lesser than his father, Magnus’ primary target wasn’t a mere mundane. No, Asmodeus had found someone far more worthy of his attention: Alexander Lightwood, the son of not just one but two highly regarded angels.

Killing Alexander would be enough for Magnus to prove himself as the son of a Prince of Hell.

Alexander had arrived on Earth only a few weeks before Magnus himself. During that time, Magnus had been expected to observe him from his father’s portal and partake in no other pleasures.

Alexander was gay. Asmodeus had been thrilled when Magnus had reported that. Seduction was always an easier tactic than brute force or other forms of manipulation. When he’d first learned about Alexander’s sexuality, Magnus had been thrilled too, but that thrill had soon turned to dread.

Entering the gay bar, Magnus’ eyes zeroed in on Alexander, and his heart skipped a beat.

Yes, it was exactly as all of Magnus’ fears had warned him. Alexander was drop-dead gorgeous. His dark hair contrasted against his pale skin, and when he turned in Magnus’ direction by chance, his eyes were bright and enthralling.

Magnus was careful not to approach him right away. He did a mental check, making sure his demonic powers were safely stifled, as he wandered through the bar like he’d watched many a mundane do.

It was a place he’d have enjoyed even if there hadn’t been a gorgeous angel holding his attention.

But oh how that angel did hold his attention.

His original plan had been to mingle in the crowd until Alexander made to leave. If he could intercept him at just the right moment, he could get an easy invitation back to the angel’s apartment with fewer chances of making a mistake.

It turned out that Magnus and patience didn’t go well together when Alexander was involved.

Before he knew how he’d gotten there, he was standing in front of Alexander, and the angel was turning towards him. Asmodeus would scold him for deviating from their plan later, but in that moment, Magnus couldn’t bring himself to care. It wouldn’t even be a big deal as long as, in the end, he accomplished his assignment. All he could think of was that Alexander was looking at him, and up close, the green and brown of his eyes were even brighter.

Though Magnus had been attracted to countless demons back in Edom, that attraction had always faded when he got too close. Only a few had held his interest long, but all of them had grown uglier with exposure.

Alexander, if anything, had gotten prettier upon first approach.

“Hello,” Magnus purred, leaning against the bar. “Having a nice night?”

His golden cat eyes were hidden by brown for the moment, but he wasn’t going to let the loss of what he considered his most stunning feature to slow him down. Alexander, for his part, didn’t seem to mind the brown that Magnus had chosen instead. His face lit up with the attention, his eyes scanning Magnus’ body in a way that hinted at uncontrolled excitement, not a calculated plan.

“Better now,” he said as his eyes met Magnus’ again.

The second he realized what had come out of his mouth, he cleared his throat and a light pink blush colored his cheeks. Magnus’ grin widened. Angels were notorious for being easier to read than demons no matter how intensively their elders prepared them for their initiation. He was lucky that Alexander was no different in that regard.

“You flatter me,” Magnus said with an embarrassed shake of his head. “Really, a gorgeous man like yourself can’t be wanting for suitors.”

He cursed himself for his choice of words, but Alexander didn’t react to the outdated phrasing.

Instead, his eyes widened, and his cheeks darkened from pink to red.

“Oh,” he said. “I was only drinking by myself.”

Flustered, he began fiddling with the still-almost-full glass of beer sitting on the bar in front of him.

Magnus tilted his head to the side as he observed him.

Alexander wasn’t just gorgeous; he was also adorable. He wasn’t anything like what the immortal enemies of Hell were meant to be like, and Magnus’ prior plan to lure him into his bed felt foolish now that they had come face-to-face.

“I’m Magnus.”

He extended his hand. Alec blinked at it for only a second before he took it, his palm wet from the condensation on his beer glass. Even that didn’t make Magnus want to pull away.

“Alec,” Alexander replied.

Magnus did his best to feign the appropriate response. The angels had given him a nickname instead of a completely new name as his cover story. He’d been told angels often did that. Their names, after all, were far more common among mundanes. His own mundane name “Magnus” wasn’t as popular in this part of the world, but Asmodeus had insisted on it out of his own ego. Magnus, his prized child, was greater than the others.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Alec,” Magnus said brightly. “If it’s quite alright with you, I’d love to take you out for dinner sometime.”

Alec’s posture straightened, and his mouth hung slightly open as he stared at Magnus.

“Yes,” he said, voice hoarse. He cleared his throat before continuing, “I’d love to get dinner with you.”

Magnus’ smile was anything but faked.

“Great,” he said. “Here’s my number. Text me, and we’ll set up the details.”

The number had been scrawled hastily onto a bar napkin, but Alexander was still staring at it as if it were a treasured object when Magnus glanced back over his shoulder at the door of the bar.

No, nothing had gone according to plan, but Magnus found that he wasn’t upset about it.

* * *

Magnus didn’t know much about the dating habits of angels. Most of what happened in Heaven was a mystery to those outside of it, even those who had been expelled millennia ago. What he did understand was human dating habits, and Alexander must have studied those during his education.

Before arriving at the restaurant, Magnus had dressed and groomed himself carefully. Of course, it was only to do his duty. He had no desire to look attractive for an angel. Human fashion sense was a far cry from that of Hell, where the grotesque was often the most valued, and Magnus had fun playing with bright colors and shimmer that would have been unwelcome in his usual life.

He was rewarded for his efforts when he sat down across from Alexander at the restaurant and received a very appreciative look. Magnus couldn’t help but analyze Alexander in the same way, noting his neutral outfit that seemed put together precisely not to offend. He looked clean cut, but it lacked any hint of personality that could have clued Magnus in to details about the other man.

It didn’t make him any less attractive.

The fact that he didn’t realize he was having dinner with a demon also worked in his favor as far as Magnus was concerned. Magnus anxiously checked to make sure that he was suppressing his magic as they chatted throughout dinner. Alec never slipped either; Magnus wouldn’t have had a clue he was on a date with an angel if he hadn’t deliberately tracked Alexander down for that purpose.

“So, you just moved to New York,” Magnus said, leaning forward with an alluring smile on his lips. “What brought you here?”

Alexander shifted in his seat. He wasn’t the greatest liar in the world, Magnus realized, but he supposed that didn’t typically matter. Angels rarely tried to manipulate those around them in the same way that demons did. They didn’t need to in order to accomplish their primary purpose on Earth. People were even less likely to suspect they were dealing with a being from Heaven than one from Hell.

“It’s one of the greatest cities in the world, isn’t it?” he asked, sounding more like he was parroting back a line from a tourism brochure than his real feelings.

“Of course,” Magnus said with an easy smile.

He’d fallen in love with New York himself in the short time he’d been there, but his cover story involved having lived in New York for years, so he couldn’t share the complete truth. He also didn’t want to admit that New York remained the only city on Earth that he’d stepped foot in and that the decision had never been his own.

Alexander smiled back, but it was strained. He fiddled with his napkin, and his eyes darted around the restaurant, not missing a single movement.

Once they’d finished their dinners, Magnus was more than aware of what was sure to come next. He’d been trying to plan for it since Alexander had first invited him on the date, yet he still didn’t know what his answer would be when the hesitant offer left Alexander’s lips.

“Do you want to come back to my place?”

Alexander had tried to be alluring when he asked the question, but his voice shook, and his intonation was just a little too high at the end. Magnus smiled regardless. If anything, it made the angel more endearing.

“I’d love to,” Magnus purred, leaning forward.

He loved seeing the effect he had on Alexander. The angel visibly swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and he accidentally hit his hand on the edge of the table. Magnus pretended that he hadn’t seen any of it as he motioned for the waiter to come over with their check.

Intimate moments were when it was easiest to capture your chosen victim. Asmodeus would have been proud; this was the one outcome that could make Magnus choosing to go on a date worth it.

But even as Magnus followed Alexander out of the restaurant, his hand in the angel’s, he knew that he wouldn’t be receiving any praise from his father.

* * *

Alexander was as gorgeous asleep as he was awake. Magnus laid across from him unable to sleep himself. Being with Alexander had been exhilarating and unlike anything he’d experienced with the demons of his past.

Reaching out, he brushed a strand of hair off Alec’s forehead. Noticing his hand trembling, he jerked it back, clutching it to its chest as if someone would jump out and cut it off if it was unprotected.

This was as opportune a moment as he could possibly get to complete his mission. Alexander had fallen asleep in bed with a demon. It was the worst mistake an angel could make, one that would make him a laughingstock of both Heaven and Hell if Magnus took the opportunity. It was something any demon Magnus knew would have longed for.

But not a single atom in Magnus’ body wanted to cause Alexander pain. Quite the opposite. All he wanted was to keep the angel safe. Magnus wasn’t sure what to make of that.

He’d been trained to manipulate and blackmail and outright kill when needed. Yet, when he had his prey vulnerable before him, he couldn’t do it. Alec looked peaceful in sleep, unlike any of the demons Magnus had shared a bed with in the past. How could he ruin that?

A tear escaped from his eyes, hitting Alexander’s pillow.

The closest thing to a saving grace that Magnus had was that the tears would dry by the time Alexander awoke in the morning. The angel would never know of the storm in Magnus’ mind.

The same wouldn’t be true with Asmodeus.

* * *

Magnus’ gaze followed Alec’s pointing hand to a group of stars that was supposed to look like an archer. Magnus couldn’t see anything but pinpricks of light, but Alec claimed it was there. He’d take the angel’s word for it.

The sky was the last place any self-respecting demon wanted to look toward, but of course, Alec was enthusiastic as he pointed out constellation after constellation and heavenly body after heavenly body. Though Magnus had been surprised when Alec had suggested stargazing as a date night idea, he realized he shouldn’t have been once they’d arrived. Alec’s enthusiasm for the sky was more captivating than the stars themselves.

For Magnus, the dark unknown of the night sky, filled with distant, unknowable (even for demons) objects was scarier than he let on. For Alec, they were familiar, comforting. He smiled at the twinkling lights like old friends.

“That one’s my favorite,” Alec admitted, still pointing at the archer. “I don’t know why, but I’ve always liked it.”

Magnus stared at him, trying to come to terms with the fact that someone could have a favorite constellation when they were just dots. They weren’t even actual pictures, just things the people had made up for themselves as entertainment when they hadn’t had the entertainment of the 21st century.

“What’s yours?” Alec asked, leaning into Magnus eagerly.

His eyes looked darker than normal in the night, with his pupils almost overtaking his irises, and it took all of the effort Magnus possessed to think about the question.

“I don’t have one,” he said, not giving himself time to think about whether that would be an odd thing for a person to say.

The way Alec’s eyes widened made him suspect that it was an odd thing for an angel to hear, though Magnus still didn’t know if it would be for humans.

Magnus shrugged.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s hard to have a favorite when you’ve only seen pictures of them.”

Realizing his mistake a split second later, he rushed to add, “What I mean is that I’ve never really looked for the constellations in the sky. I’ve only seen them sketched out and explained in books, but when I look in the sky, I just see stars. I’ve never thought about any of them as constellations.”

Alec accepted the answer as genuine and smiled at Magnus, but he still shook his head in disbelief.

“I don’t know how anyone could be uninterested in the stars,” he said. “They’re one of the most gorgeous things on Earth.”

“One of?” Magnus couldn’t help but ask, poking Alec in the arm.

Alec blushed, the red of his cheeks visible even in the dim light of the moon and stars. He didn’t look at Magnus when he answered.

“There are at least a couple of things, or people, that could compete.”

Magnus smiled but didn’t push further. He knew at least one of the things that Alec was thinking of, and that was good enough for him. It was adorable getting him just a little embarrassed though.

It was Alec who quickly changed the subject, his eyes on the stars.

“My siblings and I used to go stargazing together at least once a week. It was nice. Everything was always so peaceful when we were out there. Maybe that’s why I like stars so much.”

Magnus thought his cheeks might fall off from smiling too much. It was an unfamiliar feeling.

“That does sound nice,” he said softly.

His thumb stroked the back of Alec’s hand, finally getting the other man to look at him. Alec smiled, but there was a twinge of sadness in his eyes as well.

“Do they live back in your hometown?” Magnus asked.

Alec nodded with a sigh.

“Yeah,” he said quietly, “it may be awhile before I see them.”

There was a pang in Magnus’ heart. There was no one back in Hell who he missed, not even his father. It hadn’t occurred to him that Alec would be eager to get back to his family.

A split second later, he remembered that, if he killed Alec as he’d been instructed to do, Alexander would never see his siblings again. The thought of it was enough to make tears sting at his eyes, even though he’d accepted weeks before that he wouldn’t be able to do what his father had asked of him. He needed Alexander to see his siblings again.

He tightened his grip on Alec’s hand and raised it to his lips.

“I’m sure they miss you too,” Magnus muttered against his skin.

Alec gave him a tight smile before clearing his throat.

“What about you?” he asked, his voice a little hoarse. “Do you have any siblings?”

Magnus snorted. It was a dangerous topic, one that he should completely fabricate. Yet he wanted to tell Alec as much of the truth as he could.

“I have some half-siblings,” he said, “but we weren’t raised together, and we’re not close. I’ve never even met most of them.”

Alexander’s eyes widened, and he nodded as he processed the information. As far as Magnus knew, angels didn’t have half-siblings. They stayed together for their entire existence and claimed they were happy. Most demons mocked the practice, saying the angels were willing to stay miserable for the sake of keeping face. Magnus wasn’t sure what was closer to the truth.

People Magnus knew to be much messier, falling somewhere between the angels and demons. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that a human Magnus could have a number of half-siblings, and though Alec had suddenly become uncomfortable, he didn’t look suspicious.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

Magnus laughed and shook his head.

“It really is fine. It’s what I’m used to, and none of my siblings seem all that great anyway. I’m not sure I’d want to be close with them.”

Alec hummed, looking even more confused by that, but he didn’t question Magnus further, probably for his own sake as much as Magnus’. He ran his fingers along Magnus’ arm instead, tracing shapes.

Magnus expected Alec to turn to lighter, safer topics, so he was surprised by what came out of his mouth next.

“I’m not close with my parents,” he admitted, his gaze firmly on Magnus’ arm. “They’re my parents, so obviously, I care about them like I’m supposed to and stuff, but they’ve always spent more time on their work than with us. They never had time for stargazing.”

Magnus leaned into Alec’s side, pressing their shoulders together.

“I never knew my mom,” he said. “My dad raised me, but if we’re being honest, he completely sucks. I understand parent issues.”

Alec gave him a small, sad smile.

“Part of moving to New York was pleasing my parents,” he admitted in a whisper. “They had a vision for me, and this is part of it. I wanted to make them happy, but I think I’ve just made things more difficult for myself since I got here.”

Magnus couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to Alec’s cheek, which rewarded him with another blush.

“In an interesting coincidence,” he said playfully, “I’m also here mostly to please my father, but I’ve realized that pleasing him is pointless anyway, so fuck it. I’m doing what I want.”

Alec laughed, sounding truly happy for the first time since the conversation had turned to how much he missed his siblings. Magnus listened intently to the sound, storing the memory away for the future no matter what happened.

“Enough talk about parents,” Magnus whispered in Alexander’s ear, satisfied when he got a shiver in response. “Which constellation should be my favorite?”

* * *

Six months passed, and Magnus was the happiest he’d ever been.

He was also the most anxious. Alexander was supposed to be his biggest challenge, but he wasn’t the only one. The job given to Magnus by his father remained unfinished. Magnus could list each of them off without any trouble, but all of them were perfectly healthy and not the least bit corrupted by Hell.

It was only a matter of time before a furious Asmodeus broke free from Hell. If there was one thing Asmodeus was good at, it was revenge when he felt betrayed.

Yet Magnus kept meeting with Alec without harming a single hair on his head.

Magnus has never had something so good in his entire existence, and he’d known it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped and it all came crashing down.

The banging on his apartment door late in the night sent him into a panic. He sensed the angelic power on the other side, and he knew of only one angel who it could be.

Part of him wanted to flee, not for his safety but to avoid seeing the complete and utter devastation on Alec’s face, but he owed the other man more than that. He’d never be able to live with himself if he made things worse.

He pulled the door open and physically took a step back at the rage on Alec’s face. That turned out to be a good thing because, a split second later, Alec pushed past him into the apartment.

Not one ounce of Alec’s fumbling embarrassment from when they’d first met remained. In that moment, he was an angel on a mission, and he wasn’t making any attempts to hide his true nature.

Magnus held onto his own disguise, certain that he couldn’t face Alexander once he’d seen the golden cat eyes that were a visual reminder of his demonic nature.

When Alec spoke, it was in a voice so dangerously calm that Magnus would rather have heard him yell.

“I spoke to my mother today. They were worried that I wasn’t taking my mission as seriously as I should have been, so they looked into what was distracting me.”

A pause. Alexander stared straight into his eyes as if searching for something.

“You’re a demon.”

Magnus stayed frozen in place as he stared back at Alec. He couldn’t deny it. As the two of them watched each other, Magnus’ guard started to slip, letting some of his demonic energy through. He knew Alexander could sense it; he shifted on his feet, his eyes never leaving Magnus.

“I am,” Magnus admitted, his voice steadier than he had expected. “And I’m here for the same reason you were. Or the exact opposite, depending on how you look at it.”

“It’s the opposite,” Alec snapped. “I’m here to help people. You’re harming them.”

Magnus nodded.

“You’re right. My father wants me to hurt people. But, Alexander, you also have to know that I haven’t harmed a single person since I got here.”

The frown in Alec’s forehead deepened.

“What was your plan for spending time with me?” he asked. “When were you going to kill me?”

Magnus took a shaky breath. It was so, so tempting to reach for Alec, but he clenched his hands into fists to resist the temptation. Such a move when Alexander distrusted him would only make things worse.

“That was the plan before I met you,” he said quietly, hoping the sincerity bled through in his voice. “Even back in Hell, I was a little too fascinated with my target. After I talked to you in that bar, I gave up on finishing my mission. I don’t know what that means for me or when my father will get around to killing me, but it’s what I’ve decided.”

The silence stretched on for too long. Magnus began to think his father would reappear before Alexander replied.

“You can’t expect me to believe that,” he said finally. “Demons don’t fall in love with angels.”

Alec considered what he had just said, his face twisting in pain.

“And angels don’t fall in love with demons,” he tacked on.

Magnus sucked in a sharp breath. “At least one of those is untrue,” he countered, trying to smile as if it was a joke even as his heart hammered in his chest.

It was the first time they’d come anywhere close to using the word “love” though Magnus had thought about it more times than he wanted to admit.

He’d always been told it was impossible for him, and he’d been convinced that was the case. None of his previous experiences had been reassuring, but the past six months had shattered his previous beliefs.

He could love. It was those around him who had been incapable of it or who had, at the very least, buried that part of themselves deep inside.

Alec stared at him as if he couldn’t believe what Magnus had said, and Magnus was sure he couldn’t. It shouldn’t have been possible. No two humans on Earth were as incompatible as an angel and demon were with each other, yet there they were.

“Why?” Alec asked in a shaky voice. He sounded close to tears, and Magnus’ own eyes stung as he took an involuntary step forward.

“I can’t answer that,” he said, “because I don’t know myself. You’re captivating, Alexander. I don’t think I stood much of a chance.”

A tear broke free and slid down Alec’s cheek. Unable to resist, Magnus stepped forward and wiped it away with his thumb. Alexander didn’t stop him but stayed unnaturally still, staring at Magnus as if he were a figment of his imagination. 

Once the tear was gone, Magnus lingered, unsure what his next move should be. The ball was firmly in Alexander’s court, and he took his time in picking it up.

“Even right now, with you standing in front of me, I can’t believe you’re a demon,” he whispered.

Magnus laughed and shook his head. He couldn’t stop smiling at the absurdity of it all.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Magnus said, tilting his head to the side.

Alexander nodded absentmindedly and stared back at him.

“I love you too, you know?” he said, his voice serious once more. “When my mom said… I expected the worst, but that feels foolish of me now. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I trust you. I’ve never trusted anyone this much before.”

It probably was foolish. Magnus would have warned any other angel against it, but he was being just as foolish himself, and regardless, he had no intention of letting Alexander be wrong.

“Me either,” he said.

The two men closed what space was left between them. The second their lips touched, Magnus thought he might cry. Though it was the same as any of the other kisses they’d shared in the physical sense, the relief made it almost too much. Magnus gripped Alexander’s biceps to keep himself steady, and Alexander’s hands found his waist in an attempt at the same.

When they pulled away, Alexander rested his forehead against Magnus’. His eyes were still closed, but Magnus watched him closely until he opened them. Blue eyes met the golden ones that Magnus had set free, but nothing in Alexander’s expression changed. He even smiled when he found Magnus watching him.

“You said that Asmodeous would hurt you,” Alexander said, his voice lilting upward like a question.

His fingers trailed along Magnus’ cheek, and Magnus’ own hand encircled Alec’s wrist.

“Of course,” he said with a dark smile. “He’s a prince of Hell. He can’t have one of his children walking the surface of Earth ignoring him. But I’ll face my punishment for this when the time comes.”

The darkness in Alexander’s gaze was more than Magnus could bear. His eyes flickered downward only for Alexander to lift his chin a moment later and press a chaste kiss to his lips.

“He won’t hurt you.”

It was said so sharply that Magnus gasped. Defying Asmodeus was as impossible as a demon and angel falling in love, but when he heard Alexander say it, he actually believed it could be possible.

“He’ll track me to the ends of the Earth,” Magnus said. “There isn’t a place here that’s safe from him, and Hell is only worse.”

Alexander’s thumb traced the same path back and forth along Magnus’ jaw line several times before he spoke, his gaze cast downward.

“Not even a prince of Hell can make it past Heaven’s gates uninvited.”

The idea was so preposterous that Magnus couldn’t help but laugh. The sound of it made Alexander draw back, but Magnus was quick to wrap his arms around his waist and keep him close. He felt Alexander relax at the touch, and he smiled, pressing a kiss to the angel’s cheek before he spoke.

“You’re right, Alexander. Of course you are, but there’s one problem: I also can’t make it past Heaven’s gates. Not a single demon has been there since my father and the others followed Lucifer.”

Alexander shook his head, his hands finding Magnus’ waist again.

“Anyone can make it to Heaven if they disavow the evils of Hell. That’s what I’ve been taught since I was a child, and I won’t let them back down on it now. Sure, they also said that demons were incapable of penance, but clearly, they were wrong. There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t come if you’re willing to leave your father and the rest of Hell behind.”

A few tears dripped down Magnus’ cheek. It was such a beautiful idea, and he desperately wanted to believe it could come true.

“If anyone could get them to believe in me, it would be you,” Magnus said, raising his hand to cup Alexander’s cheek.

Alexander turned his head to kiss the inside of Magnus’ wrist, and Magnus’ heart skipped a beat.

“I have one more demon to vanquish before I return,” he said quietly, “but the reclaimed soul of a demon should count for more than a demon returned to Hell.”

“In theory,” Magnus said, unable to stop himself from smirking.

“In theory,” Alexander echoed with a sigh. “But, Magnus, if they don’t let me return with you, then I’ll stay here. We’ll fight Asmodeus together if we have to. Others may think it’s foolish. I may be cast out, but that wouldn’t matter if I had no intention of returning anyway. I won’t leave you.”

Unable to resist it any longer, Magnus pulled Alexander closer and refused to let him go.

* * *

Heaven’s gates surpassed anything Magnus could have imagined after a lifetime spent in Hell. Even after his time on Earth, he struggled to take in the brilliance that no human or demonic language had words for.

An angel stood at the gates, watching Magnus and Alec approach with a stern gaze. The way Alexander’s hand tightened around his own as they approached confirmed Magnus’ suspicions that this was his mother.

She hardly spared a glance for the son who had just completed his mission. Instead, she watched Magnus with a frown.

“The angels have granted my son’s request to give you amnesty,” she said, everything about her tone betraying her own feelings on the subject. “But this isn’t the end. You will be expected to prove yourself. One wrong move, and you will receive the same punishment that was given to your ancestors.”

Magnus’ lips pressed tightly together. He’d been prepared for this sort of antagonism. It was still far better than anything his father could direct at him. Before he could answer her, though, Alexander spoke.

“I told you that he won’t do anything, Mother. He’s good.”

He looked at Magnus, expecting a ready response, but Magnus struggled with it. What did a word as vague as ‘good’ actually mean anyway? He’d done plenty of things in his lifetime that an angel would never admit to.

Compared to his father, Magnus believed himself quite innocent, but he couldn’t claim the purity that Maryse no doubt wanted him to possess. She knew that, and Magnus was sure that Alexander knew it too, though he always acted as if it hadn’t occurred to him.

“I want to be good,” Magnus said instead. “As much as that’s possible for a demon at least.”

Alexander’s frown deepened. They’d had the argument before, with Alexander insisting that demons were only angels who had made different decisions, decisions that Magnus should be just as free to make. He was right in certain ways, but the millenia that had separated them made a universe of difference as far as Magnus was concerned.

He gave Alexander a smile and a quick kiss on the check, only avoiding his lips because he couldn’t quite forget that Maryse stood nearby. Alexander gave him a small smile in return and squeezed his hand again.

They turned back to Maryse, who was watching them with narrowed eyes. She didn’t comment on their public affection or say anything else. All she offered as a slight nod before she turned and entered Heaven’s gates herself, leaving them cracked open behind her.

“This is your last chance to turn back,” Alexander whispered in his ear.

Magnus’ smile grew without the weight of Maryse’s disapproval hanging over him. The light shining through the crack in the gate only amplified his love for Alexander.

“There’s not a chance of that, my dear.”

Alexander didn’t smile like Magnus had expected. His gaze was far more intense instead. Leaning forward, he captured Magnus’ mouth with his own.

**Author's Note:**

> Come follow me on [Tumblr](http://forensicisabelle.tumblr.com) if you'd like!


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